Pages

"There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion" Francis Bacon 1561-1626

About Me ....and the Bees

Val Littlewood BA MA SIAD

Artist Designer and now Printmaker.
After a career in commercial art, design and teaching I am now loving the many faceted world of printmaking: woodcuts, lino and a bit of letterpress and bookbinding thrown in.
My long held desire to make my own books from top to toe, illustration printing and binding, becoming a bit more of a reality.

I am interested in many things but walking, seeing, writing and sketching are at the heart of what I do and where ideas and projects start. In my creative life I have been extremely lucky to be able to explore many aspects of art and design through practice and teaching, from illustration, book design, murals, fine decorative painting and gilding, ceramics, commercial product design, printmaking and more. I have worked in many different media and loved each and every one of them, each material bringing its own intrinsic qualities, restrictions and possibilities. They are all fascinating.

....But there is still so much more to discover and learn. Three lives would not give me enough time to create, write, draw and paint all that is in my mind. I have merely scratched the surface of "creativity". It's a place of frustration and fulfilment in equal amounts but always seductive.

I regard every day as a source of new possibilities and try to take nothing for granted!

Bees! ... Yes I LOVE my bees

I have drawn and painted many of them and studied their fascinating lives.
Am the daughter of a beekeeper and I am a wild bee rehoming centre in the village.
My garden is stuffed with bee plants and I am an all round unashamed Bee champion. What's not to love about bees??

I have a particular interest in the conservation of wild bees and to that end developed my small travelling BUZZ exhibition which showcases 24 British Wild Bees and their flowers.
Venues for the show have included Lumen Gallery London, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Easton Walled Gardens, Yewbarrow House and Nature in Art Gallery in Gloucestershire where I have had two Art Residencies.
I also give talks about the bees and their flowers... believe me it is fascinating!!